either way i'll get into the garden

lottie got a groovy little biscuit cutter in her stocking

cute or what?

perfect for an alice in wonderland tea party

what a silly day

ellie got facemasks to avoid those germs that lurk everywhere

lottie got a tray plate for pretending she is eating an inflight meal

our lovely tree

there had to be something vintage

pixie saucepans (aka: measuring cups)

xmas dinner: lamb/beef/turkey/roast tatties & parsnips/pigs in blankets/home-made bread sauce/grandma's gravy/yorkshires/stuffing/star-shaped carrots/sprouts

grandma's xmas pudding (which i tried with brandy butter for the first time in my life and i am in love)

as games co-ordinator i made sure we all played:

knock the papercups with a pair of tights over your head

dress your partner like a xmas tree with green crepe streamers/baubles/star hat

wrap a present whilst wearing gloves

xmas song quiz

tear the shape of a xmas tree from a piece of green paper with both hands behind your back

hold an empty picture frame to your face and try to keep from laughing whilst your evil family try to make you laugh (lottie only had to look at paul and lost!)

we had the best day and hope that wherever you were and whomever you spent it with, you felt love, got fed (physically and spiritually) and had fun x

jubilee xmas cake

had a block of navy blue roll icing in the cupboard left over from jubilee so what better to cover my xmas cake with?

topped with glitter holly and berries and i am rather chuffed with the result

gingerbread houses

do you think we have enough toppings?

looks like ikea!

decorated before assembly (that's the way to do it)

lottie's cottage

she hurled chocolate/flake/malteser on the roof, made stained glass windows and door, added a chimney and edible pink glitter

ellie's hoose

cinnamon buds in neat rows on the roof, no chimney because she ate it, stained glass windows but an open door, mint swirls for wreaths, edible iridescent glitter and crushed candy canes for edging

i love that when you give two kids the same ingredients, you get such different results

pretty isn't it?

except it really isn't

this is norovirus under the microscope

ellie and i had a day off work today thanks to this, with lottie suffering yesterday; advice tells us:

The virus is easily passed around on the hands, on surfaces that contaminated hands have touched and food they have prepared. It is hard to get rid of and lingers for up to a week after the sick person has recovered. Even clothes and sheets can be infected for days afterwards and need washing at 60C or higher to kill the virus. Detergent and disinfectant alone will not do the trick.

where i work, we are meticulous about cleaning floors but not surfaces...shelves hold food products, our hands touch food products, our hands push trolleys with our food products, yet never have i seen shelves or trolleys cleaned/disinfected and people STILL don't wash their hands after going to the loo

any wonder this bug keeps doing the rounds????

memories

just found a video of ellie and lottie playing in the snow in nutley 3 years ago

go onto this blog and scroll down:

www.retroowl.blogspot.co.uk

xmas jumper!

lottie got a hand knitted reindeer jumper with matching hat and gloves from grandma

(very jealous!)

pumpkin spice chocolate

lottie found the recipe on youtube

for 2 mugs:

50g white chocolate

1 tbsp pumpkin puree

vanilla extract

1 tbsp sugar

2 mugs milk

nutmeg and cinnamon

heat milk in pan with all the above until all dissolved and good and hot, decant into mugs and top with marshmallows and a sprinkling of cocoa

splodge finished

lottie's glazed and fired st ives pottery (and tea tastes good in it)

xmas baking

st nicholas left lottie this kit for chocolate peppermint whoopie pies

they were very nice but very rich so we gave most of them to the library ladies (who are always grateful for cake!)

2 cake birthday!

we made martha stewart's angel food cake with 7 minute frosting because we had seen it on 'martha bakes'

but alas, none of us liked it

what is inside?

a happy lottie with a lush legend

only been waiting 3 years for this

cake number 2: pumpkin spice 

we liked this one

pool party

for lottie's 11th birthday, we had the pool, inflatable, building to ourselves

such fun!

can you tell i've been on pinterest today?

ha ha!

which one is jake, which elwood?

obviously chewie is elwood (he's got the briefcase)